Last chance
by ReallyWhoCares
Summary: Because why should time travel always be successful? Oneshot


A/N: First story so don't expect the world!

His first thought was that his left arm hurt. His second thought was wondering how his arm could hurt, when apparently it had been ripped of at the shoulder. As he brought up his right hand in what seemed a futile attempt to stop the blood flow, he began feeling the pain in his face, and felt the taste of blood in his mouth.

"_A missing arm isn't enough, lets just add a smashed jaw to the that, dammit Kurama, this was not what was supposed to happen_".

When Kurama had suggested time travel as a desperate gambit in the war against Madara, Naruto had expected to actually make a difference, not to be dying no more than a few minutes after he was back. He felt himself growing weak, and fell to his knees. He realized that without Kuramas boost to his healing, there was no way he was gonna survive this. He felt his eyelids drop as he thought back to what had happened just minutes earlier in the future.

\- Flashback -

Naruto looked at the now smashed and mostly deserted battleground. Hardly anyone from the once mighty Shinobi Alliance was still alive, let alone fit for combat.

"**I got an idea that might work**" Kurama grumbled from inside the seal.

"It better be a damm good one Kurama, because right now I don't see how we can win this" Naruto said, eyes searching the battlefield for any familiar bodies.

"**Listen kit, i can send you back to the last time i was outside of a seal, which means the day i attacked Konoha 17 years ago. I won't be able to join you though, so you'll be on your own.**"

Naruto looked at the giant fox inside of his mindscape, and took a deep breath.

"Lets do it, if i can stop this war from ever happening, so many people could be saved. But are you sure you're okay with this? Won't the "you" from this timeline disappear?"

Kurama laughed, "**Kit, if you don't go back, i'll just get stuck inside a giant statue for eternity. Not exactly something to look forward to.**"

Naruto looked thoughtful, but then smiled.

"I guess you are right. But when i'm back i'll definitely knock some sense into you earlier, dattebayo!"

Kurama just shook his head and wondered how the kid had ever grown on him.

"**Well kit, we better do this before Madara gets here, or you'll be dead and i'll be spending eternity inside that statue. Now, I have never done this before, but I know how it works. In theory. Kinda.**"

Narutos smile turned into an expression of disbelief, before he scowled at Kurama.

"You're not exactly inspiring confidence in this plan of yours."

Right then was when Madara decided to make his appearance, rinnegan eyes locking onto Naruto.  
"Dammit, you better hurry Kurama!"

Just as Naruto felt a pull originating from the seal on his stomach, and felt himself get dragged into the past, Madara descended upon him. "Oh shi-..."

\- End flashback -

A giant roar woke Naruto from his reverie. "_I have not gone back in time, just to die without changing a single thing_" he thought. Forcing himself to rise, he found himself just outside Konoha, watching Kuramas rampage through the city. Just as he started making his way toward Kurama, the fox disappeared in yellow flash. Another giant roar ripped through the air, but this time it originated what seemed a few miles outside of Konoha.

"_This must be when dad sealed Kurama_" he realized.

A thought struck Naruto. So many things had gone to hell, because his dad had died sealing Kurama. Not only had Konoha lost it's strongest shinobi, he just so happened to be the most beloved hokage since the Hashirama Senju himself. This had lead to the suspicion of the Uchiha clan, who then segregated themselves from the rest of the village, ultimately leading to the Uchiha massacre and the loss of another genius shinobi in the form of Itachi, not to mention Sasukes whole revenge business. It was no wonder the Sand had thought Konoha the easiest hidden village to invade.

A sudden clarity hit Naruto. He knew how he could change things even with his limited time.

Forcing himself to run as fast as he could towards Kurama, he went over everything he could remember about the seal used to seal Kurama inside him. Ero-sennin had taught him about it, apparently thinking it was a good idea, so that Naruto didn't accidentally ruin the seal.

He knew he would have to sacrifice himself, but given that he was already dying, he really couldn't care less.

As Naruto arrived he saw his dad and mother arguing, with an infant version of himself lying on the ground.

"_God, this is so weird_" he thought as landed between them and the chained up nine tails.

Minatos eyed instantly turned on him in suspicion, and seemed to fixate on his hitai-ate with the word "Shinobi" on it.

"Who are you and what are you doing here" he asked in a cold voice, while raising one of his signature kunais. Naruto tried to answer, but his smashed jaw made it impossible to get anything intelligible out._ "Dammit, I won't stay conscious or even alive much longer, I have to start the death reaper seal now". _

Naruto dodged the tri-pronged kunai as he hurried through the hand seals.  
Minato stopped the attack with wide eyes as he realized what Naruto was doing.  
"How do you know that seal!" he yelled out in surprise, just as Naruto finished the sequence of hand seals. As he felt his life start to leave him, he looked at Minato and Kushina, his dad and mom. How many times had he dreamt of meeting them, and now when he did he was dying and couldn't even say a word to them.

"_I hope this will be enough to change things, even though it seems like I can't keep my promise to beat some sense into you Kurama, you'll just have to wait for younger me to do it instead_."

Lying on the ground he used his last chakra for the eight signed seal, and in his final momentshe made eye contact with his mom, who, with tears in her eyes, whispered four words; "Thanks.. for saving them". With his dying breath Naruto turned his face towards the sky and closed his eyes.

A/N: Good? Mediocore? Terrible? Leave a review and tell me!


End file.
